John Riddell: Democracy in Lenin's Comintern

How did Communist parties handle issues of internal discipline and democracy in Lenin’s time? The recent intense discussion within the British Socialist Workers’ Party (SWP) and beyond has heard claims that the SWP rests on the traditions of democratic centralism inherited from the Bolsheviks.

Richard Atkinson: Death and the Bedroom Tax

Some extended thoughts about Stephanie Bottrill, the woman who committed suicide because of the bedroom tax.

Dave Renton: Who Was Blair Peach?

Today marks the 35th anniversary of the killing of Blair Peach by the police. David Renton looks back at Blair Peach’s life as a poet, trade unionist and committed antifascist

Bunny La Roche: Nasty Little Nigel gets a rude welcome to Kent

Bunny La Roche of RS21 on Nigel Farage's visit to Kent

Financial Appeal

Brunel SWSS condemn, without reservation, the politically bankrupt and morally reprehensible behaviour of the SWP central committee, in regard to the crisis currently rocking the party. Student comrades have been met with hostility from groups we were on a previous good footing with. Certain sections of the university staff have now joined this chorus of disapproval, and we now face political isolation, the undoing of all our previous work, as the voices of our critics grow in correspondence to the CC’s silence.

We unreservedly feel that this silence is indicative of a complete failure of leadership, and note that this paralysis is even more egregious when "leadership" was the shibboleth the current CC used to justify its own controversial revised slate. Under these conditions, any student activity must be, at least for the meanwhile, suspended, as comrades feel they cannot sustain the party line, especially when it is being deployed as a weapon against us by our political foes, has alienated us from the movement, and, more importantly, is being rejected by large sections of the party’s own membership.

Nevertheless, and precisely because of the faith we have in our party and the proud tradition in which it stands, we urge the leadership to reconsider its position and to accept the growing call for special conference, the creation of a commission over the Disputes Committee, and would further insist that Comrade Delta should stand down immediately from party and affiliate roles.